Headlight



Dec. 22, 1936. R, R BOS-nc 2,064,880

HEADLIGHT Filed March 19, 1935 2 snets-sneet 1 l 2 za IN VENTOR.

R B05 TIC.

ATTORNEY.

R. R. BOSTIC Dec. 22, 1936.

HEADLIGHT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 19, 1935 o 6v. a

INVENTOR. RR BUST/1 Patented Dec. 22, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

'Ihis invention relates to improvements in head lights.

The general object of the invention is to provide an improved head light for use'on vehicles such as automobiles.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved anti-glare head light for automobiles.

A further object of the invention is to provide a head light which will project the rays in fan shape laterally but will not project light rays above a predetermined height.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a head light constructed in such a manner as to utilize a maximum amount of light rays from the bulb thereof.

Other objects and the advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical section through my improved headlight.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 on a reduced scale.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 on a reduced scale.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of an automobile showing my improved head lights operatively mounted therein.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the automobile shown in Fig. 4, showing a modified form of light, and

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5 on a reduced scale.

Referring to the drawings by reference characters, I have indicated my improved head light generally at I 0.

As shown the headlight I Il includes a housing member I2 having a curved forward portion as indicated by I3 with the front of the housing open and a tapered rear portion as indicated by I4. 'Ihe front of the housing I2 is closed by a cap member I5 which is curved to match the curvature of the housing.

Adjacent each side of the housing the cap I5 has a hinged arm I6 welded or otherwise secured thereto, which is pivotally mounted as at I1 to a block member I8 on the housing. The cap I5 has an aperture I9 therein which is closed by a glass member 20 which is curved to match the curvature of the cap I5. 'Ihe glass 20 may be secured to the cap I5 in any desired manner as by rails and screws as indicated at 2|. The lower end of the cap is shown as secured to the housing I2 by bolts 22 which engage nuts 23 which are welded or therwise secured to the housing.

Suitably mounted on the bottom of the housing and extending upward therefrom I provide a standard type electric bulb socket 24 in which an electric light bulb 25 is removably positioned.

Positioned in the housing I2 adjacent the bottom thereof, I provide a metal reector member 26. The reflector 26 is shown as including a plurality of depending legs 21 which are secured by bolts 28 to upstanding legs 29 on the housing I2. The reflector 26 has an aperture 30 therein through which the socket member 24 projects. As clearly shown in Fig. l the reector member 26 is elliptical in cross section and extends from adjacent one side of the housing to adjacent the other side thereof. (See Fig. 2).

Above the reflector 26 adjacent the top of the housing I provide a, frame member 3I which supports a glass or other mirror 32 in a downwardly facing direction. Adjacent each end the frame 3I has an arcuate bracket 33 thereon which has an arcuate slot 34 therein. 'I'he brackets 33 are movably supported on bolts 35 which are positioned in the slot 34 and threadedly engage blocks 36 on the housing I2. The frame 3| includes a ball socket member 31 in which a ball member 38 is positioned. The ball member 38 has a threaded stem 39 thereon which is threaded into an externally threaded bolt member 4I) which is positioned in a threaded boss 4I on the housing.

Adjacent the boss 4I the housing I2 has an aperture 42 therein which is closed by a plate 43. The plate 43 is retained in position by a bolt 44 which engages a threaded nger 45 on the housing. The bulb 25 is of a type wherein the filament 46 is straight and is positioned at right angles to the axis of the bulb socket.

'I'he elliptical shape of the reector 26 is such that the bulb filament 46 coincides with one focus and the light rays from the filament striking the reiiector are reiiected convergently upward to other focus 41 which is at the reecting surface of the mirror 32 as indicated by the broken lines 48.

The mirror 32 is arranged so that the reected beams from the reector 26 will be reilected therefrom through the glass 20 in an area defined in Fig. 1 by lines A and B. The top line A extends from the mirror approximately horizontal, while the line B extends downward.

Adjacent the rear of the reector 26, I provide a collector reflector 50 which extends upward vfrom the reector 26. The collector reflector 50 includes a plurality of segments of circular cylinders 5| whose centers coincide with the axis of the filament and which therefore reflect the raysv 'from the bulb filament 46 back through a line through a line coaxial withthe axis of the lament of the bulb onto the reector 26. The reilector is shown as including a plurality of nger members 51 adjacent each end which are secured by bolts 58 to brackets 59 on the cap member I5. I

The reflectors 58 and 55 are positioned so that they do not intercept the reected rays 48 from the reiiector 26 and the reflector 55 is positioned so that it does not intercept the reflected rays from the mirror 32.

` At each end of the reflector 26 I provide a frame member 68 which supports a reector member such as a mirror 6I. Near the rear the frames 68 are welded or otherwise suitably secured to the brackets 54 and adjacent the front frames are Welded or otherwise suitably secured to a bracket 62 on the housing I2. The reflectors 6I are arranged to reflect the rays from the flla'.-

ment 46 which strike them back onto the reilectors 26, 58, and 55.

Thus it will be seen that the majority of the rays from the filament 46 which do not originally strike the reflector 26 are eventually reflected onto this reiiector 26 and are then directed onto the reiiector 32.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a pair of my improved head lights I8 operatively mounted on an automobile 65 which includes a closed body 66 having a top portion 61 and a windshield 68.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the top 61 of the automobile includes an outer portion 69 and a ceiling portion 18 spaced below the top portion 69.

In Figs. 5 and 6, I have shown a modiiication of my invention in a device indicated generally at 15. The device 15 is positioned in the top 61 of the automobile in the space between the top portion 69 and the ceiling portion 18 and adjacent the front of the automobile body. The automobile body 66 has an elongated aperture 16 therein above the wind shield 68 which is closed by a glass closure member 11. The glass closure member 11 may be secured to the body 66 in any desired manner as by rails and screws as indicated at 18.

As shown the device 15 includes apair of spaced metal side plates 19 which adjacent their lower forward corners are pivoted as indicated at 88 to blocks 8| mounted on the ceiling 18. Between the end plates 19 I provide a metal reflector member 82 which is elliptical in cross section. At each end the reflector member 82 includes a ange portion 83 each of which are suitably secured as' by welding to the adjacent end plate 19. Intermediate its length, the reflector member 82 includes a plurality of electric bulb sockets 83 in which electric light bulbs 84 are positioned. The light bulbs 84 are similar to the light bulb 25 prev1ously described, having a filament 85 therein which is positioned at right angles to the axis of the bulb socket, y

The reflector iselliptical in cross section so that when the bulb filament 85 -is at one focus the light rays from the iilaments striking the reflector will be convergently reiiected to the other focus 86 which is at the -rear of the glass closure member 11 as indicated by the lin'es C. The light rays cross atthe point 86 and then pass through the glass closure 11. l

Extending from one'end plate 19 to the other,

vI provide a collector reflector 81. The reflector 81 includes parts 88 which are segments of circular cylinders and are similar to previously described collector reflectors 58 and 55, and are shaped to reect therays from the bulb la- `-ments 85 back substantially through a line coaxm with the axis of the filament of the bulb onto the reiiector 82. The collector reflector 81 includes a flange portion 89 at each end which are suitably secured as by welding to the end plates 19. Y

Below the reflectorl 82 I provide another collector reflector 98 which like the reeetor 81 lncludes a plurality of curved sections 9| which are shaped to reflect the rays from the bulb laments 85 back through a line coaxial with the axis of the laments of the bulbs onto the reector 82. The reector 98 has a flange portion 92 at each end which is removably secured to the end plate 19 by bolts 93.

The inner faces of the end plates 19 are polished to form reecting surfaces to reflect the rays from the iilaments 85 which strike them back onto the reectors 82, 81, and 98.

Thus it will be seen that the majority of the rays from the filaments 85 which do not originally strike the reflector 82 are eventually directed onto the reector 82.

Mounted on the rear of the reector 82 I provide a bracket member 94 on 4which a member 95 is pivotally mounted as indicated at 96. The member 95 includes a ball socket portion 91 in which a ball member 98 is positioned. The ball member 98 has a stem thereon which extends downward intothe drivers compartment of the automobile. The stem 99 includes a threaded block |8| mounted on the ceiling 18.

In the drivers compartment the stem 99 has an enlargedhead |82 thereon. By rotating the stem 99, reflectors 82, 81 and 98 may be swung about the axis of the pivots 88 to change the angle of the projected light rays.

'I'he ceiling 18 has an aperture |83 therein which is closed by a closure member |84 which includes a hinge member |85 adjacent each end which is pivotally mounted as at |86 to a block member |81 mounted on the ceiling 18. 'I'he closure member |84 further includes a suitable fastening member |88 to retain it in a closed position.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have provided a. novel light device which is simple in construction and highly efficient in use.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a head light, a housing, said housing having an aperture therein, a glass closure member over said aperture, a reflector member in said housing, said reiiector comprising an elongated trough-like member elliptically shaped in transverse cross section, means to support Said reflector in said housing, an electric bulb socket in said housing, an electric light bulb in said socket, said bulb having a straight lament therein positioned at right angles to the axis of said bulb socket and extending lengthwise of said refiector, a frame member positioned in said housing above said reiiector, means to pivotally support said frame member, means to retain said frame member in adjusted position, a plane mirror mounted on said frame member, said reflector being disposed so that rays from said bulb lament striking the said reflector are convergently directed in a line towards said mirror, said mirror being arranged to direct said rays therefrom through said housing aperture, a collector reiiector at each side of said first reflector, said collector reflectors extending upward and each including a plurality of segmental cylindrical surfaces each disposed and adapted to direct rays striking them back through a line coaxial with the axis of the filament of the bulb onto said first reflector, a frame adjacent each end of said first reiiector, means to support said frames and a mirror member mounted on each of said end frames, said mirror members each being adapted to reiiect rays from said bulb striking them onto said first refiector.

2. In a head light, a housing, said housing having an aperture therein, a closure member over said aperture, a reiiector member in said housing, said reflector comprising an elongated troughlike member, means to support said reector in said housing, an electric bulb socket in said housing, an electric light bulb in said socket, said bulb having a filament therein, a frame member positioned in said housing above said reector, means to pivotally support said frame member, a plane mirror mounted on said frame member, said refiector being disposed so that rays from said bulb filament striking the said reflector are directed towards said mirror, said mirror being arranged to direct said rays therefrom through said housing aperture, a collector reflector at each side of said first reflector. said collector reflectors extending upward and each including a plurality of segmental cylindrical surfaces each disposed and adapted to direct rays striking them back through a line coaxial -with the axis of the filament of the bulb onto said first reflector, a frame adjacent each end of said first reflector, means to support said frames and a mirror member mounted on each of said end frames. said mirror members each being adapted to reflect rays from said bulb striking them onto said first reflector.

3. A head light. said head light including a housing having a body. said body being of teardrop shape in longitudinal cross-section, said body having end members thereon, the large end of said body having an aperture therein, a closure for said aperture, a reflector member in said housing, said reflector member comprising an elongated trough-like member elliptically shaped in transverse cross-section and extending across said housing, means in the housing to support said reector, an electric bulb socket mounted on said housing and extending to a position in advance of said reflector, an electric light bulb in said socket, said bulb having a straight elongated filament therein positioned at right angles to the axis of said bulb socket and extending lengthwise of said reflector, a pair of supplemental reflectors disposed at each side of said first reflector, said supplemental reflectors each comprising a plurality of segmental cylindrical surfaces cony nected by plane surfaces, the center of curvature of said segmental cylindrical surfaces coinciding with the axis of the rectilinear filament and with the focus of the elliptical reflector.

4. A head light, said head light including a housing having a body, said body being of teardrop shape in longitudinal cross-section, said body having end members thereon, the large end of said body having an aperture therein, a closure for said aperture, said closure being of a shape conforming to the tear drop shape of the housing and extending across said housing aperture, a refiector member in said housing, said refiector member comprising an elongated trough-like member elliptically shaped in transverse crosssection and extending across said housing, means in the housing to support said reflector, an electric bulb socket mounted on said housing and extending to a position in advance of said reflector, an electric light bulb in said socket, said bulb having a. straight elongated lament therein positioned at right angles to the axis of said bulb socket and extending lengthwise of said reflector, a pair of supplemental reflectors disposed at each side of said first reflector, said supplemental reflectors each comprising a plurality of segmental cylindrical surfaces connected by plane surfaces, the center of curvature of said segmental cylindrical surfaces coinciding with the axis of the rectilinear filament and with the focus of the elliptical reflector.

5. A head light, said head light including a housing having a body, said body being of teardrop shape in longitudinal cross-section, said body having end members thereon, the large end of said body having an aperture therein, a frame surrounding said aperture, said frame having a light transmitting closure therein, said closure being of a shape conforming to the tear-drop shape of the housing and extending across said housing aperture, a reflector member in said housing, said reector member comprising an elongated trough-like member elliptically shaped in transverse cross-section and extending across said housing, means in the housing to support said reflector, an electric bulb socket mounted on said housing and extending to a position in advance of said reflector, an electric light bulb in said socket, said bulb having a. straight elongated filament therein positioned at right angles to the axis of said bulb socket and extending lengthwise of said reflector, a pair of supplemental reflectors disposed at each side of said first reflector, said reflector having projecting flanges thereon and said supplemental reflectors having Aflanges thereon engaging the flanges on said first reflector, said supplemental reflectors each comprising a plurality of segmental cylindrical surfaces connected by plane surfaces, the center of curvature of said segmental cylindrical'sur- 

